


Stressless Damsel

by Rosage



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8355469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosage/pseuds/Rosage
Summary: It’s hard to avoid traps when you have a dashing princess to rescue you.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SirAranIsWriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirAranIsWriting/gifts).



> This is a Femslash Exchange secondary gift/bonus treat for SirAranIsWriting’s cute prompt: “Setsuna's always had a crush on the dashing princess, Hinoka. Most of the time, she genuinely does need rescuing, but, sometimes, it's an excuse to be carried off in those arms, and being able to sigh "My hero," so contently.” I hope you enjoy it!

Setsuna walked silently down the forest path. If she started humming, she could call prey to her, but she was enjoying the birdsong too much. The afternoon was bright enough for patches of the ground to shine, catching her eye every few steps. Maybe that was why she hadn’t fallen into any traps yet. She didn’t like to think about whether days were good or not, but… Yes, this was a good day.

Better still, it hadn’t rained. Even the morning dew had dried up. Mud always made Setsuna slip, and wet forests had so many distracting smells. In this clear air, a savory scent reached her. Was someone cooking? She was supposed to be hunting, but if they’d share, she could return without having to work.

Her nose led her to chunks of meat lying in the dirt. Oh. That was such a waste. Even if she washed it off, Lady Hinoka probably wouldn’t be pleased. Still, she should pick it up, just in case.

As she stepped closer, the ragged cuts jogged her memory. After a minute, she placed it: the stir-fry she and Lady Hinoka made the other day (or was it that morning?). Lady Hinoka had hacked away at the meat and vegetables until they were almost shreds, and Setsuna caught half of it on fire. They got chased out of the mess hall in the middle of promising each other they’d try again.

That made Setsuna smile. Lady Hinoka never gave up. She was probably studying stir-fry while Setsuna hunted. 

Studying. Kagero made her study a lot. What was the latest lesson?  _ If you’re walking near trees, check the ground to make sure there isn’t any… _

Rope, looped in a circle around the meat.

Setsuna had identified a trap.

Happily she sucked in a breath. She had to go tell Kagero and Lady Hinoka. They’d praise her for sure.

But if she didn’t fall into the trap, how could Lady Hinoka rescue her? Setsuna didn’t like waiting around in traps, but she loved when Lady Hinoka scooped her up from a pit or caught her as she fell. Her arms were so strong, and her hair was short enough that Setsuna’s head had room to rest against her warm neck. 

Setsuna picked up the bait, letting the rope close around her and yank her upward.

She soon realized she hadn’t thought this through. Her quiver and bow didn’t give her much room to get comfortable. One arm was dangling out of the trap, the other folded against her torso. Shifting her knees only made it worse.

She shook the bait. What was the point of catching an animal if you were only going to use it to bait another animal? She could hunt more efficiently than that with her bow, especially if she wasn’t stuck in the other hunters’ traps.

As she was wondering how many hours it would take Lady Hinoka to find her, she heard a voice from below. “Aha! I caught--ugh, Setsuna, why am I surprised?”

“I don’t know, but I’m surprised you’re here so soon. You must have really missed me, huh, Lady Hinoka?”   
  
“No, I was just checking my trap. I didn’t set it that long ago. This must be a record time for getting stuck.”

“Thanks for the compliment. This must be a record rescue time, then. You’re really something, Lady Hinoka.”

“I wasn’t… Oh, just let me help you down.”

Setsuna’s heart lifted. This was her favorite part. Sometimes Lady Hinoka carried her away on her pegasus. Other times she climbed the tree to cut Setsuna loose, and they ended up perched together in the branches. Today she cut the rope from the ground and caught Setsuna as she fell, just as Setsuna had pictured.  


Except for a few things. Between the rope, the bow, and the quiver, it took some untangling before Setsuna was free--and by then, both of her feet were on the ground. Maybe if she’d hurt her ankle in a trap, or there was quicksand nearby, Lady Hinoka would have carried her.

It had been a nice thought. At least Lady Hinoka looked handsome in the dappled forest light, teeth bared like she was ready to eat.

Remembering the meat, Setsuna waved her prize. “I didn’t catch anything yet, but I found you this. Look, someone cuts it as badly as you do. Isn’t that encouraging?”

“That’s the leftovers from our stir-fry. I felt bad wasting food stores, so I thought I’d put it to good use. I don’t know why I didn’t expect this. Forgive me, Setsuna.”

“For what? You rescued me. You’re my hero, Lady Hinoka.”

Lady Hinoka’s face turned red. “But it was my fault that… Nevermind. Come on, I’ll guard you while you hunt. With me to keep an eye on you, I’m sure you’ll catch enough to more than make up for all this.”

Basking in the praise, Setsuna trod after her.


End file.
